Excess power dissipation for throttle loss recovery systems

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods are provided for managing excess electrical energy generated by a throttle loss recovery system. One exemplary system includes a flow control assembly to generate electrical energy in response to a portion of a fluid flow bypassing a flow control valve, an electrical system coupled to the flow control assembly to receive the electrical energy, and a control module coupled to the electrical system. The electrical system includes an energy storage element and an electrical load. The control module detects an excess energy condition based at least in part on a characteristic of the electrical system, and in response, operates the electrical system to dissipate at least a portion of the electrical energy generated by the flow control assembly using the electrical load.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 62/128,093, filed Mar. 4, 2015, the entire contentof which is incorporated by reference herein. The subject matterdescribed herein is also related to the subject matter described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. ______ and U.S. patent application Ser. No.______, both filed concurrently herewith.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The subject matter described herein relates generally to flow controlsystems, and more particularly, to managing excess recovered electricalpower in a throttle loss recovery system.

BACKGROUND

The throttling of intake air is a known way of controlling the output ofan engine, such as an internal combustion engine. Often, internalcombustion engines use throttle bodies to throttle the intake air to thedesired flow rate. However, the throttling of air may cause a loss inefficiency during partial throttle conditions. Specifically, throttlebodies in some embodiments use butterfly valves to throttle the flow ofintake air. While butterfly valves are known for their simplicity andreliability, they provide the throttling function by constricting theair intake path to a smaller area, which creates flow losses.

Prior art solutions have been developed which seek to control the flowof intake air while recovering some of the energy lost in the throttlingprocess. Some of these prior art solutions recover energy usingmechanical means, while others recover energy electrically. In thosesituations, the recovered electrical energy may exceed the demands ofthe vehicle electrical system, in which case, the excess electricalenergy must be dissipated. One approach to dissipating the excess energyinvolves short-circuiting the generator stator coils to regulate theelectrical power output, however, this may cause current ripple orelectrical noise that can be detrimental to other electrical components.Additionally, short-circuiting the excess energy may result inrelatively high current, which, in turn, generates heat. This excessheat also must be dissipated to prevent component overheating; however,since the throttle loss recovery system is typically under the hood of avehicle where temperatures may already be elevated, dissipating excesselectrical energy in a manner that produces heat under the hood of thevehicle merely exacerbates another problem.

BRIEF SUMMARY

Turbine assemblies, throttle loss recovery systems, and related vehiclesystems and operating methods are provided.

One exemplary system includes a flow control assembly, a conduitproviding fluid communication with the flow control assembly for abypass portion of a fluid flow that bypasses a flow control valve basedon an orientation of the flow control valve with respect to the fluidflow, and an electronics assembly including an electronics modulecoupled to the flow control assembly, wherein at least a portion of theelectronics assembly is in fluid communication with the bypass portionof the fluid flow.

One exemplary throttle loss recovery system includes an inlet conduitupstream of a throttle, a turbine assembly coupled to the inlet conduitto receive an input fluid flow via the inlet conduit based on anorientation of the throttle, an outlet conduit downstream of thethrottle that is coupled to the turbine assembly to receive an outputfluid flow from the turbine assembly, and an electronics assemblyincluding an electronics module coupled to the turbine assembly tocontrol operations of the turbine assembly, wherein at least a portionof the electronics assembly is in fluid communication with at least oneof the input fluid flow and the output fluid flow.

An exemplary method of operating a turbine assembly involves operatingthe turbine assembly to generate electrical energy in response to abypass fluid flow to the turbine assembly, monitoring a firsttemperature corresponding to an intake fluid flow downstream of theturbine assembly, and automatically adjusting operation of the turbineassembly to increase the first temperature when the first temperature isless than a threshold. The bypass fluid flow is influenced by anorientation of a flow control valve.

In yet another embodiment, an exemplary system includes a flow controlassembly to generate electrical energy in response to a bypass portionof a fluid flow bypassing a flow control valve based on an orientationof the flow control valve with respect to the fluid flow, an electricalsystem comprising an energy storage element and an electrical load iscoupled to the flow control assembly to receive the electrical energy,and a control module coupled to the electrical system to detect anexcess energy condition based at least in part on a characteristic ofthe electrical system, and to operate the electrical system to dissipateat least a portion of the electrical energy generated by the flowcontrol assembly using the electrical load in response to the excessenergy condition.

An exemplary vehicle system includes a turbine assembly upstream of athrottle to generate electrical energy at an output in response to aninput fluid flow influenced by an orientation of the throttle, a vehicleelectrical system including an energy storage element and a vehicleelectrical component that is coupled to the output of the turbineassembly, and a control module coupled to the vehicle electrical systemto identify an excess energy condition and automatically activate thevehicle electrical component to dissipate at least a portion of theelectrical energy generated by the turbine assembly in response to theexcess energy condition.

In yet another embodiment, a method of managing electrical energygenerated by a turbine assembly upstream of a throttle is provided. Theturbine assembly generates the electrical energy in response to a fluidflow influenced by an orientation of the throttle. The method involvesoperating a vehicle electrical system coupled to the turbine assembly todeliver the electrical energy to an energy storage element, operatingthe vehicle electrical system to dissipate at least a portion of theelectrical energy using a vehicle electrical component in response to anexcess energy condition, and thereafter operating the vehicle electricalsystem to deliver the electrical energy to the energy storage element inresponse to an absence of the excess energy condition.

In another embodiment, a method of operating a flow control assemblygenerating electrical energy in response to a bypass fluid flowinfluenced by an orientation of a flow control valve involves operatingthe flow control assembly to deliver the electrical energy to a vehicleelectrical system, and in response to a low temperature condition,automatically adjusting operation to alter heat generation at the flowcontrol assembly, for example, by adjusting the delivery of theelectrical energy to increase heat generation.

An embodiment of operating a turbine assembly generating electricalenergy in response to a bypass fluid flow influenced by an orientationof a flow control valve involves operating the turbine assembly todeliver the electrical energy to a vehicle electrical system andmonitoring a temperature associated with the turbine assembly. Operationof the turbine assembly is automatically adjusted to dissipate at leasta portion of the electrical energy when the temperature is less than athreshold.

Another method of operating a throttle loss recovery assembly generatingelectrical energy in response to a bypass fluid flow influenced by anorientation of a throttle with respect to an intake fluid flow involvesoperating the throttle loss recovery assembly to deliver the electricalenergy to a vehicle electrical system, detecting a potential icingcondition, and automatically adjusting operation of the throttle lossrecovery assembly to dissipate at least a portion of the electricalenergy in a manner that increases generation of heat at the throttleloss recovery assembly in response to detecting the potential icingcondition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the subject matter will hereinafter be described inconjunction with the following drawing figures, wherein like numeralsdenote like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system including a throttle lossrecovery system in one or more exemplary embodiments;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a throttle loss recovery systemsuitable for use in the vehicle system of FIG. 1 in an exemplaryembodiment;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of another embodiment of a vehicle systemincluding a throttle loss recovery system in one or more exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of an exemplary temperature regulation processsuitable for implementation by a vehicle system including a throttleloss recovery system in accordance with one or more exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a vehicle system including a throttle lossrecovery system in an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of an exemplary power regulation processsuitable for implementation by a vehicle system including a throttleloss recovery system in accordance with one or more exemplaryembodiments;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram of an exemplary turbine assembly electronicsmodule suitable for use in the vehicle system of FIG. 5 in accordancewith one or more embodiments of the power regulation process of FIG. 6;and

FIGS. 8-9 are block diagrams of an exemplary vehicle electrical systemsuitable for use in the vehicle system of FIG. 5 in accordance with oneor more embodiments of the power regulation process of FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments of the subject matter described herein relate to vehiclesystems that include a flow control assembly that functions as a bypassfor fluid flow around a flow control valve to generate energy from thebypassing fluid flow. For purposes of explanation, the subject matter isdescribed herein in the context of a turbine assembly that functions asa bypass for a throttle and includes an electrical generator thatgenerates electrical energy, which offsets or otherwise compensates forlosses or other inefficiencies resulting from throttling the intake air.However, it should be appreciated that the subject matter describedherein is not limited to use with turbines or throttles, and may beimplemented in an equivalent manner for other suitable mechanicaldevices or flow control assemblies that are arranged to provide a bypassfor another suitable flow control valve. Additionally, while the subjectmatter is described herein in the context of a the turbine assemblybeing configured as a turbo generator, the subject matter describedherein is not limited to use with turbo generators and may beimplemented in an equivalent manner for turbochargers or other suitablearrangements.

In one or more exemplary embodiments described herein, the electronicsassociated with the turbine assembly are thermally coupled to airbypassing the throttle, by establishing fluid communication between theelectronics assembly and the bypass air either upstream of the turbine(FIG. 1) or downstream of the turbine (FIG. 3). In this manner, theelectronics may be packaged under the hood and cooled by the airbypassing the throttle, which typically has a colder temperature thanthe external under the hood temperatures near the turbine assembly. Inembodiments where the electronics assembly is upstream of the turbine,the heat transfer between the electronics assembly and the bypass airraises the temperature of the air that is input to the turbine, which,in turn, increases the available energy that may be produced by theturbine. Additionally, raising the temperature of the bypass air reducesthe risks of icing downstream of the turbine assembly. In embodimentswhere the electronics assembly is downstream of the turbine, thetemperature of the bypass air at the turbine outlet is colder relativeto the inlet of the turbine, and thus, facilitates more effectivecooling of the electronics assembly. The risk of icing may also befurther reduced by providing the heat transfer downstream of theturbine.

By virtue of the cooling of the electronics by the bypass air, excesselectrical energy generated by the turbine assembly may be dissipated atthe electronics assembly without exceeding maximum operatingtemperatures of the electronics. For example, when the power output bythe generator cannot be transferred to available energy storage devices(e.g., a battery, capacitor, or the like) or other electrical componentswithin the vehicle system, the excess electrical energy may bedissipated by the electronics at the electronics assembly, therebygenerating heat at the electronics assembly that is dissipated by thebypass air. In some embodiments, the heat dissipated by the electronicsat the electronics assembly may be dynamically varied or adjusted toachieve a desired temperature at the inlet to the turbine, at the outletof the turbine, at the intake manifold, or the like. For example,electrical energy generated by the generator may be selectivelydissipated by the electronics at the electronics assembly rather thanbeing transferred to the vehicle electrical system to achieve a desiredoperating temperature for the turbine assembly, the engine, or the like.In one or more embodiments, the temperature of the air downstream of theturbine that influences or otherwise corresponds to the temperature ofthe engine intake air is monitored, and the operation of the turbineassembly is automatically adjusted to increase the temperature of theengine intake air when the measured downstream air temperature is lessthan a threshold temperature. In this regard, additional heat may bedissipated at the electronics assembly and/or operations of the turbineassembly may be dynamically adjusted in conjunction with the heatdissipated at the electronics assembly to regulate the engine intake airto a desired operating temperature.

FIG. 1 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle system 100 thatincludes a throttle loss recovery (TLR) assembly 102 configured tomodulate the flow of fluid to an intake manifold 104 of an engine. TheTLR assembly 102 includes a throttle 106 disposed within a conduit 108for fluid 112 to be supplied to the engine intake. In some embodiments,the fluid 112 is realized as ambient air received via a port or inletupstream of the TLR assembly 102. In other embodiments, the fluid 112 isrealized as cooled charge air from the output of a charge air cooler (orintercooler). In this regard, the input fluid flow 112 may includecompressed air.

The TLR assembly 102 includes a conduit 120 that adjoins the engineintake conduit 108 upstream of the throttle 106 and has an inletconfigured to selectively receive at least a portion 114 of the inputfluid flow 112 in a manner that is influenced by the orientation (orangle) of the throttle 106 with respect to the input fluid flow 112. Inthis regard, as the angle of the throttle 106 with respect to the inputfluid flow 112 increases to restrict the amount of the input fluid flow112 that passes the throttle 106 to the intake manifold 104, the amountof fluid flow 114 bypassing the throttle 106 through the conduit 120increases, which, in turn, increases the potential electrical energythat may be generated by the turbine assembly 124. Conversely, as theangle of the throttle 106 with respect to the input fluid flow 112decreases to allow more of the input fluid flow 112 to pass the throttle106 to the intake manifold 104, the amount of bypass fluid flow 114entering the conduit 120 decreases.

The outlet of the conduit 120 is coupled to the inlet (or input) of aturbine assembly 124 to establish fluid communication between the intakeconduit 108 upstream of the throttle 106 and the inlet of a turbine 126of the turbine assembly 124. In this regard, the bypass fluid flow 114functions as the turbine input fluid flow that passes through thevolute, nozzle, or and/or vanes of the turbine 126 and impacts theblades (or wheel) of the turbine 126 to rotate the turbine 126. In theillustrated embodiment, the turbine assembly 124 includes an electricalgenerator 128 coupled to the turbine 126 via a shaft, and the electricalgenerator 128 generates electrical energy in response to the rotation ofthe shaft caused by the turbine input fluid flow 114. The TLR assembly102 includes another conduit 122 having an inlet coupled to the outletof the turbine 126 and an outlet coupled to the intake conduit 108downstream of the throttle 106 to establish fluid communication betweenthe turbine 126 and the intake conduit 108 for the turbine output fluidflow 116. The turbine output fluid flow 116 combines with whateverportion of the input fluid flow 112 passes the throttle 106 to providethe intake fluid flow 118 supplied to the intake manifold 104. In thisregard, the temperature of the intake fluid flow 118 may be influencedby or otherwise correspond to (or correlate to) the temperature of theturbine output fluid flow 116 when the throttle 106 is oriented torestrict at least a portion of the input fluid flow 112.

FIG. 2 depicts a cross-sectional view of an exemplary embodiment of aTLR assembly 200 suitable for use as the TLR assembly 102 in the vehiclesystem 100 of FIG. 1. The TLR assembly 200 includes a fluid conduit 202which is configured to receive flow 212 of an input fluid (e.g., inputfluid flow 112) and a throttle 206, is positioned in the fluid conduit202. In the illustrated embodiment, the turbine inlet conduit includesan inlet 220 which may be defined at least in part by the intake conduit202 and configured to selectively receive at least a portion of theinput fluid flow 212 from the intake conduit 202. The turbine wheel 226is mounted on a shaft 230 coupled to an electrical generator 228, whichis configured to produce electrical energy when the turbine wheel 226rotates. The illustrated turbine assembly 224 includes a volute 232,which substantially surrounds the turbine 226 and supplies the portionof the input fluid flow 212 received via the inlet 220 to the turbine226. As illustrated, in some embodiments, the intake conduit 202, theturbine outlet conduit 222, and the volute 232 may be defined by anintegral housing, which also retains the turbine 226 and the generator228 to provide the TLR assembly 200 with a relatively compact form.

In exemplary embodiments, the throttle 206 is configurable betweenmultiple positions. For instance, in some embodiments, the throttle 206is realized as a butterfly valve that includes a throttle plate 236. Anadjustment mechanism such as an electric motor or throttle cable may beconfigured to control the throttle 206 by adjusting the position of thethrottle plate 236, for example, by rotating a shaft 238 to which thethrottle plate 236 is coupled about its longitudinal axis. In practice,a position sensor may detect the position of the throttle plate 236 orthe shaft 238 and provide feedback as to the position of the throttleplate 236 such that the position of the throttle 206 may be adjusted toachieve a desired intake fluid flow downstream of the throttle 206. Inthis regard, FIG. 2 depicts the throttle 206 opened to a point at whichthe inlet 220 to the turbine 226 is substantially fully unblocked. Thus,the turbine assembly 224 acts as a bypass around the throttle 206 whenat least a portion of the inlet 220 is not obstructed by the throttleplate 236. At least a portion of the input fluid flow 212 enters thevolute 232 via the inlet 220, which feeds the turbine 226, and theturbine output fluid flow 214 exiting the turbine 226 passes through theturbine outlet conduit 222 and reenters the intake conduit 202downstream of the throttle 206 via an outlet 242. As illustrated, theoutlet 242 may be defined by an opening in the sidewall of the intakeconduit 202 downstream of the throttle 206. It will be appreciated thatthe orientation of the throttle plate 236 with respect to the inputfluid flow 212 will vary during operation, which, in turn, will vary theamount of the input fluid flow 212 that is redirected or otherwisebypasses the throttle via the turbine assembly 224.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the vehicle system 100 includes anelectronics assembly 136 that includes an electronics module 130 that iscoupled between the generator 128 and the vehicle electrical system 132.The electronics module 130 includes the electrical elements orcomponents that are configured to receive the electrical energygenerated by the generator 128 and provide an interface between theoutput of the generator 128 and the vehicle electrical system 132 fordelivering the generated electrical energy to the vehicle electricalsystem 132. For example, the electronics module 130 may include arectifier coupled to a voltage bus associated with the vehicleelectrical system 132 to rectify the output of the generator 128 to adirect current voltage level corresponding to the voltage bus.Additionally, in some embodiments, the electronics module 130 mayinclude resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, and/orother electrical circuit elements configured to dissipate at least aportion of the electrical energy generated by the generator 128. Inexemplary embodiments, the electronics module 130 is capable of varyingthe voltage output provided to the vehicle electrical system 132 bydissipating at least a portion of the electrical energy generated by thegenerator 128 at the electronics module 130. In this regard, theelectronics module 130 may include a silicon controller rectifier,switching arrangement, or other electrical component that may beoperated to dissipate electrical energy at the electronics module 130 tomaintain the output voltage provided to the vehicle electrical system132 at a target voltage set point provided by the ECU 140. For example,the electronics module 130 may include a field-effect transistor (FET)configured parallel to the generator output that is pulsed, switched, orotherwise activated with a duty cycle that results in the FETdissipating a portion of the generated electrical energy that results inthe voltage output by the rectifier of the electronics module 130 beingsubstantially equal to the target voltage set point from the ECU 140.

In one or more exemplary embodiments, the electronics module 130 alsoincludes a control module that is configured to control operations ofthe turbine assembly 124, for example, by varying the amount of energy(or heat) dissipated at the electronics module 130, varying the geometryof the turbine 126 (e.g., in the case of a variable geometry turbine),varying the amount (or portion) of the generated electrical energy thatis output to the vehicle electrical system 132, and the like. In thisregard, the control module of the electronics module 130 may be coupledto the engine control unit (ECU) 140 and configured to support thethermal regulation processes described herein. Depending on theembodiment, the control module of the electronics module 130 may beimplemented or realized with a general purpose processor, a controller,a microprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integratedcircuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmablelogic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, processing core,discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed toperform the functions described herein. Furthermore, the steps of amethod or algorithm described in connection with the embodimentsdescribed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in firmware, in asoftware module executed by the control module, or in any practicalcombination thereof. In this regard, the electronics module 130 mayinclude a data storage element, such as a memory, one or more registers,or another suitable non-transitory short or long term computer-readablestorage media, which is capable of storing computer-executableprogramming instructions or other data for execution that, when read andexecuted by the control module, cause the control module to execute andperform one or more of the processes tasks, operations, and/or functionsdescribed herein.

Still referring to FIG. 1, at least a portion of the electronicsassembly 136 is in fluid communication with the turbine input fluid flow114 within the turbine inlet conduit 120. In this regard, theelectronics assembly 136 may include one or more heat exchange elements150, with the turbine inlet conduit 120 including an opening or port 121in a sidewall of the conduit 120 that is adapted to receive at least aportion of the heat exchange element 150 that protrudes through thesidewall opening 121. The heat exchange element 150 is thermally coupledto the electronics module 130 and configured to transfer thermal energyfrom the electronics module 130 to the turbine input fluid flow 114. Forexample, the heat exchange element 150 may be realized as a heat sinkthat is directly mounted to the electronics module 130 for direct heattransfer between the electronics module 130 and the heat exchangeelement 150. Alternatively, the heat exchange element 150 and theelectronics module 130 are mounted to a common substrate thatfacilitates indirect heat transfer between the electronics module 130and the heat exchange element 150 via the substrate.

By virtue of the fluid communication between the turbine input fluidflow 114 and the heat exchange element 150, at least a portion of theelectronics assembly 136 is thermally coupled to the turbine input fluidflow 114. In exemplary embodiments, the input fluid flow 112 is realizedas ambient air having an ambient temperature that is typically less thanthe temperatures under the hood of the vehicle surrounding where theturbine assembly 124 and the electronics assembly 136 are mounted, suchthat the bypass portion 114 of the ambient air in fluid communicationwith the heat exchange element 150 dissipates heat (or thermal energy)from the electronics module 130 via thermal communication between theambient fluid flow 114 and the electronics module 130 provided by theheat exchange element 150. While FIG. 1 depicts the electronics assembly136 and the turbine assembly 124 as separate components of the vehiclesystem 100, in practice, the electronics assembly 136 may be integratedwith the turbine assembly 124 as a unitary component or otherwisepackaged together within the vehicle. Furthermore, the electronicsassembly 136 and the turbine assembly 124 may be integrated with thethrottle 106, the bypass conduits 120, 122 and the portion of the intakeconduit 108 the throttle 106 is disposed within to provide a unitary TLRassembly 102, as depicted in FIG. 2. In this regard, the electronicsassembly 136 may physically contact (either directly or indirectly) oneor more components of the TLR assembly 102. Thus, dissipating electricalenergy at the electronics assembly 136 may also increase the temperatureof the throttle plate 206 and/or the housing of the TLR assembly 200packaged with the electronics assembly 136 via thermal conduction,thereby reducing the likelihood of icing at the throttle 106, 206.Further examples of how the electronics assembly 136 may be packaged orotherwise integrated with the housing of a TLR assembly 102, 200 aredescribed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/638,232.

Still referring to FIG. 1, it should be noted that not only does thethermal communication between the electronics assembly 136 and theturbine input fluid flow 114 decrease the temperature of the electronicsmodule 130, but the heat transfer from the electronics module 130 to theturbine input fluid flow 114 also raises the temperature of the turbineinput fluid flow 114. This, in turn, increases the potential temperaturedifferential across the turbine 126 (e.g., the difference between thetemperature of the turbine input fluid flow 114 and the temperature ofthe turbine output fluid flow 116), which increases the amount of energythat may be generated by the turbine assembly 124. Additionally, raisingthe turbine input fluid flow 114 temperature also allows for thetemperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116 to be raised, which, inturn, decreases the potential for icing in the intake manifold 104.

In the illustrated embodiment, the vehicle system 100 further includesone or more temperature sensing elements 134 to measure, sense, orotherwise quantify the temperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116within the turbine outlet conduit 122 that will be supplied to theintake fluid flow 118. Depending on the embodiment, the temperaturesensing element 134 may be mounted or otherwise integrated into thesidewall of the turbine outlet conduit 122, or alternatively, theturbine outlet conduit 122 may include an opening or port adapted toreceive the temperature sensing element 134 in a similar manner asdescribed above with respect to the opening 121 in the turbine inletconduit 120. It should be noted that while FIG. 1 depicts thetemperature sensing element 134 measuring the turbine output fluid flow116, in other embodiments, the temperature sensing element 134 may berelocated and configured to measure the temperature of the input fluidflow 112, the intake fluid flow 118, or the turbine input fluid flow114, and the subject matter described herein is not limited to anyparticular location or arrangement of the temperature sensing element134. In this regard, in some embodiments, the temperature sensingelement 134 may be integrated with the electronics assembly 136, asdescribed in greater detail below in the context of FIG. 7.

Referring again to FIG. 1, the output of the temperature sensing element134 may be coupled to the ECU 140 to provide a measured temperature ofthe turbine output fluid flow 116 to the ECU 140. In this regard, theECU 140 may continually monitor the measured temperature of the turbineoutput fluid flow 116 and identify or otherwise detect when the measuredtemperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116 falls below a thresholdtemperature, such as an icing threshold. When the measured temperatureof the turbine output fluid flow 116 is less than the threshold, the ECU140 may signal, command, or otherwise instruct the electronics module130 to dissipate energy and increase the temperature of the turbineinput fluid flow 114. The ECU 140 may signal the control module of theelectronics module 130 to operate the electronics module 130 todissipate more electrical energy generated by the generator 128, andthereby increase the temperature of the turbine input fluid flow 114 viathe heat exchange element 150 in lieu of providing the generatedelectrical energy to the vehicle electrical system 132. For example, theelectronics module 130 may include one or more switched resistors, whichmay be operated by the control module of the electronics module 130 toincrease the heat dissipation at the electronics module 130, which, inturn, is transferred to the turbine input fluid flow 114 via the heatexchange element 150. In this manner, the likelihood of icing within TLRassembly 102 and/or the intake fluid flow 118 may be reduced (if noteliminated) by monitoring the temperature of the turbine output fluidflow 116 and dynamically adjusting the temperature of the turbine inputfluid flow 114 as needed to maintain the temperature of the turbineoutput fluid flow 116 above an icing threshold. Thereafter, once themeasured temperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116 is greatenough, the ECU 140 may signal, command, or otherwise instruct thecontrol module of the electronics module 130 to resume normal operationand cease operating the electronics module 130 to dissipate electricalenergy solely for the purpose of increasing the temperature of theturbine input fluid flow 114.

It will be appreciated that there are numerous potential combinations orconfigurations of operations of one or more of the turbine 126, thegenerator 128, the electronics module 130, and the vehicle electricalsystem 132 to increase the heat dissipated at the electronics module 130to raise the temperature of the turbine input fluid flow 114, and thesubject matter described herein is not intended to be limited to anyparticular manner of regulating the temperature of the turbine inputfluid flow 114. For example, in various alternative embodiments, thecontrol module of the electronics module 130 may be configured toincrease the heat dissipated at the TLR assembly 102 by varying theloading on the generator 128, varying the power provided by the turbineassembly 104 (e.g., by varying the turbine geometry in the case of avariable geometry turbine 126) or the like. That said, in one or moreexemplary embodiments, the turbine 126 has a fixed geometry and thegenerator 128 is matched with the turbine 126 to produce a desired powerand/or voltage output over an efficient range of speeds for the turbine126. For example, in an automotive vehicle, the generator 128 may bedesigned to produce an output voltage in the range of about 12 Volts toabout 15 Volts when loaded by the vehicle electrical system andoperating at the range of rotational speeds that the turbine 126 islikely to exhibit during vehicle operating conditions (e.g., when thethrottle 106 is mostly closed or only partially open) where the turbineassembly 124 can be utilized to recharge the vehicle battery or operateother components of the vehicle electrical system. However, inembodiments where a variable geometry turbine is utilized, the ECU 140may command, signal, or otherwise instruct the control module of theelectronics module 130 to operate the turbine 126 (e.g., by varying thegeometry) to decrease the temperature differential across the turbine126, and thereby raise the temperature of the turbine output fluid flow116 in conjunction with the heat dissipation by the heat exchangeelement 150.

Moreover, it should be noted that while FIG. 1 depicts the output of thetemperature sensing element 134 being coupled to the ECU 140, inalternative embodiments, the temperature sensing element 134 may becoupled to the electronics module 130 to provide the measuredtemperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116 to the control moduleof the electronics module 130, which, in turn, determines how toregulate the temperature of the turbine input fluid flow 114 independentof the ECU 140. Furthermore, in other embodiments, the temperaturesensing element 134 (or an additional sensing element 134) may beconfigured to obtain the measured temperature for the intake fluid flow118 in lieu of (or in addition to) the temperature of the turbine outputfluid flow 116, with the ECU 140 and/or the electronics module 130increasing the heat dissipation at the electronics module 130 to raisethe temperature of the turbine input fluid flow 114 in a manner that isinfluenced by the measured temperature of the intake fluid flow 118going to the intake manifold 104. Additionally, in yet otherembodiments, the electronics assembly 136 may be in fluid communicationwith the input fluid flow 112 upstream of the turbine inlet conduit 120and the throttle 106 at other locations within the TLR assembly 102, forexample, by providing an opening for the heat exchange elements 150 inthe intake conduit 108 upstream of both the turbine inlet conduit 120and the throttle 106 in lieu of the opening 121 in the turbine inletconduit 120.

FIG. 3 depicts another embodiment of a vehicle system 300 that includesa TLR assembly 302 configured to modulate the flow of fluid to an intakemanifold 104 of an engine. In contrast to the TLR assembly 102 of FIG.1, the TLR assembly 302 is configured so that the electronics assembly136 is in fluid communication with the turbine output fluid flow 116within the turbine outlet conduit 322. In this regard, the turbineoutlet conduit 322 includes an opening or port 321 adapted to receive atleast a portion of the heat exchange element 150 that is in thermalcommunication with the electronics module 130 and protrudes through theopening 321 to transfer thermal energy from/to the electronics module130 to/from the turbine output fluid flow 116. By virtue of thetemperature drop across the turbine 126, the temperature of the turbineoutput fluid flow 116 is less than the temperature of the turbine inputfluid flow 114 within the turbine inlet conduit 320, and therefore, theelectronics module 130 may be more effectively cooled by the TLRassembly 302 of FIG. 3. The heat transfer from the electronics module130 to the turbine output fluid flow 116 also increases the temperatureof the turbine output fluid flow 116 and decreases the potential foricing in the intake manifold 104.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the vehiclesystem 300 may include one or more temperature sensing elements tomeasure the temperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116 within theturbine outlet conduit 322, and the electronics module 130 and/or theECU 140 may be configured to dynamically adjust the heat dissipated bythe electronics module 130 at the electronics assembly 136 to regulatethe temperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116, and thereby theintake fluid flow 118, as described in greater detail below in thecontext of FIG. 4. Additionally, in yet other embodiments, theelectronics assembly 136 may be in fluid communication with the intakefluid flow 118 downstream of the turbine outlet conduit 322 and upstreamof the intake manifold 104 at other locations within the TLR assembly302, for example, by providing an opening for the heat exchange elements150 in the intake conduit 108 downstream of both the turbine outletconduit 322 and the throttle 106 but upstream of the intake manifold 104in lieu of the opening 321 in the turbine outlet conduit 322. In suchembodiments, one or more temperature sensing elements may measure thetemperature of the intake fluid flow 118, and the electronics module 130and/or the ECU 140 may dynamically adjust the heat dissipated by theelectronics module 130 at the electronics assembly 136 to directlyregulate the temperature of the intake fluid flow 118.

FIG. 4 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a temperature regulationprocess 400 suitable for implementation in a vehicle system to regulatethe temperature of a TLR assembly or the intake fluid flow downstream ofa TLR system. The various tasks performed in connection with theillustrated process 400 may be implemented using hardware, firmware,software executed by processing circuitry, or any combination thereof.For illustrative purposes, the following description may refer toelements mentioned above in connection with FIGS. 1-3. In practice,portions of the temperature regulation process 400 may be performed bydifferent elements of a vehicle system 100, 300, such as, the ECU 140,the electronics module 130, the temperature sensing element 134, theturbine 126, the generator 128, and/or the vehicle electrical system132. It should be appreciated that practical embodiments of thetemperature regulation process 400 may include any number of additionalor alternative tasks, the tasks need not be performed in the illustratedorder and/or the tasks may be performed concurrently, and/or thetemperature regulation process 400 may be incorporated into a morecomprehensive procedure or process having additional functionality notdescribed in detail herein. Moreover, one or more of the tasks shown anddescribed in the context of FIG. 4 could be omitted from a practicalembodiment of the temperature regulation process 400 as long as theintended overall functionality remains intact.

The illustrated temperature regulation process 400 initializes orotherwise begins by receiving or otherwise obtaining a measuredtemperature associated with a TLR assembly (task 402). In one or moreembodiments, the measured temperature associated with the TLR assembly102, 200, 302 is a measured fluid flow, which depending on theembodiment, may be the measured temperature of the input fluid flow 112,the measured temperature of the intake fluid flow 118, or the measuredtemperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116. For example, the ECU140 may receive or otherwise obtain a measured temperature for theambient air surrounding the vehicle which primarily makes up the inputfluid flow 112. In one or more exemplary embodiments, due to thetemperature drop across the turbine 126, 226, 326, the measuredtemperature is obtained downstream of turbine assembly 124, 224, 324 anddownstream of the electronics assembly 136 that is in fluidcommunication with the fluid flow to or from the turbine 126, 226, 326.In the illustrated embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 3, the measuredtemperature is obtained from a temperature sensing element 134integrated with the turbine outlet conduit 122, 322 of the TLR assembly102, 302 and corresponds to the temperature of the turbine output fluidflow 116, which, in turn influences the temperature of the intake fluidflow 118 downstream of the turbine outlet conduit 122, 322. In otherembodiments, the measured temperature is directly obtained for theintake fluid flow 118 using a temperature sensing element integratedwith the intake conduit 108 downstream of the turbine outlet conduit122, 322, or alternatively, the measured temperature is directlyobtained for the input fluid flow 112 using a temperature sensingelement integrated with the intake conduit 108 upstream of the throttle106, 206. In yet other embodiments, the measured temperature associatedwith the TLR assembly 102, 200, 302 is realized as a measuredtemperature obtained from a temperature sensing arrangement 706integrated with the electronics module 130 and/or the electronicsassembly 136.

The temperature regulation process 400 continues by identifying orotherwise detecting a low temperature condition based on the measuredtemperature, and in response, automatically adjusting operations of theturbine assembly to increase the temperature (tasks 404, 406). Inexemplary embodiments, the temperature regulation process 400 determineswhether the measured temperature is less than an icing protectionthreshold, and in response to detecting the measured temperature is lessthan an icing protection threshold, automatically adjusting operationsof the turbine assembly to increase the temperature. In this regard, theelectronics module 130 may adjust the distribution of the energygenerated by the generator 128 or otherwise alter operation of theturbine 126 and/or the generator 128 in a manner that is likely toincrease the temperature of the TLR assembly 102, 200, 302 and/or theintake fluid flow 118. For example, in response to the ECU 140 detectingthe measured temperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116 is lessthan an icing protection threshold, the ECU 140 may automaticallycommand, signal, or otherwise instruct the electronics module 130 toincrease the temperature of the turbine output fluid flow 116. Inresponse, the electronics module 130 may automatically reduce the amountof electrical energy generated by the generator 128 that is provided tothe vehicle electrical system 132 by increasing the amount of thegenerated electrical energy that is dissipated as heat at theelectronics module 130, which, in turn, increases the turbine outputfluid flow 116 (either directly in TLR assembly 302 or indirectly in TLRassembly 102) via the heat exchange element 150. Additionally, the heatdissipation increases the temperature of the TLR assembly 102, 200, 302,and thereby the throttle 106, 206, 306, either directly via conduction(e.g., based on the packaging of the electronics assembly 136) orindirectly via convection by heating the fluid flow through at least aportion of the TLR assembly 102, 200, 302.

For example, in one embodiment, in response to detecting a potentialicing condition, the ECU 140 may automatically command, signal, orotherwise instruct the electronics module 130 to provide an outputvoltage that is less than the current voltage of the vehicle battery (oralternatively, the current DC bus voltage for the vehicle electricalsystem). In response to the reduced target voltage set point, theelectronics module 130 operates a switching (or switchable) arrangement(e.g., a FET, a silicon-controlled rectifier, or the like) that isparallel to the generator output to conduct or otherwise dissipate atleast a portion of the generator output current, thereby diverting thatportion of the generator output power away from the vehicle electricalsystem. Dissipating an increased portion of the generated power at theturbine assembly 124 increases the temperature associated with theturbine assembly 124 and reduces the portion (or percentage) of thepower generated by the generator 128 that is provided to the vehicleelectrical system.

In some embodiments, the electronics module 130 may command, signal, orotherwise operate the generator 128 to increase the amount of electricalenergy generated by the generator 128, which, in turn, is thendissipated at the electronics module 130. In yet other embodiments,where further heat dissipation at the electronics assembly 136 is notachievable and the turbine 126 has a variable geometry, the electronicsmodule 130 may command, signal, or otherwise operate the turbine 126 tovary the geometry and decrease the temperature drop across the turbine126, thereby raising the temperature of the turbine output fluid flow116 relative to the turbine input fluid flow 114. In this regard, theefficiency of the turbine assembly 124 may be temporarily reduced in amanner that is likely to increase the temperature of the intake fluidflow 118, and thereby, reduce the likelihood of icing at the intakemanifold 104 or within the TLR assembly 102, 200, 302.

Still referring to FIG. 4, the illustrated temperature regulationprocess 400 continues by receiving or otherwise obtaining an updatedmeasured fluid temperature and identifying or otherwise determiningwhether the measured temperature is greater than or equal to a normaloperation threshold or safe operation threshold (task 408, 410). Inexemplary embodiments, the normal operation threshold represents atemperature that is great enough so that the electronics module 130 canresume normal operations of the turbine assembly 124 with a sufficientlylow likelihood of the intake temperature falling below the protectionthreshold within a particular duration of time after resuming normaloperations. In some embodiments, the normal operation threshold may bechosen to be equal to the protection threshold, however, in otherembodiments, the normal operation threshold may be equal to theprotection threshold plus an offset that provides a buffer configured toreduce the likelihood of the protection threshold being reached withinat least a desired amount of time. When the measured temperature is lessthan the normal operation threshold, the temperature regulation process400 repeats the steps of operating the turbine assembly to increase heatdissipation and continually monitoring the measured temperature untilthe measured temperature is greater than or equal to the safe operationthreshold. In this regard, in some embodiments, the electronics module130 may incrementally increase the heat dissipated at the electronicsassembly 136 and/or incrementally adjust operations of the turbine 126and/or the generator 128 to incrementally increase the temperature ofthe turbine output fluid flow 116. For example, rather than dissipatingall of the electrical energy generated by the generator 128 initially,the electronics module 130 may progressively increase the electricalenergy dissipated at the electronics assembly 136 as needed whileallowing any remaining available electrical energy to be provided to thevehicle electrical system 132.

Once the measured fluid temperature is greater than or equal to a normaloperation threshold, the temperature regulation process 400automatically resumes normal operations of the turbine assembly (task412). For example, the ECU 140 may command, signal, or otherwiseinstruct the electronics module 130 to cease dissipation of thegenerated electrical energy at the electronics assembly 136 or otherwiseresume operating the turbine assembly 124 in a more efficient manner togenerate electrical energy for distribution to the vehicle electricalsystem 132. The loop defined by tasks 402, 404, 406, 408, 410 and 412may repeat continually throughout operation of a vehicle system 100, 300to regulate the temperature of the intake fluid flow 118 to reduce thelikelihood of icing at the intake manifold 104, at the TLR assembly 102,200, 302, or otherwise achieve a desired intake temperature for theintake manifold 104. In this regard, the efficiency of the TLR assembly102, 200, 302 may temporarily be reduced (e.g., by dissipating a greaterpercentage of the generated energy as heat at the electronics assembly136) to prevent icing at or near the throttle 106, 206, 306, protect theengine, or otherwise achieve a desired engine performance beforereverting to more efficient operations once a desired intake temperatureis restored.

In one or more embodiments, in addition to monitoring for a measuredtemperature is less than an icing protection threshold, the temperatureregulation process 400 may also utilize one or more emissions controlcriteria to identify or otherwise detect a low temperature condition anddetermine when to adjust operations of the turbine assembly to increasethe temperature. For example, in response to detecting a cold startcondition, the ECU 140 may automatically signal the electronics module130 to dissipate at least a portion of the generated electrical energyto increase the temperature of the intake fluid flow 118, which, inturn, facilitates increasing the temperature of the catalyst of acatalytic converter, thereby increasing conversion efficiency. Dependingon the embodiment, the ECU 140 may detect the cold start condition basedon a measured temperature of an exhaust fluid flow downstream of theengine being less than a cold start exhaust threshold temperature value,a measured temperature of the intake fluid flow upon startup being lessthan a cold start intake threshold temperature value, or a measuredemissions output from an emissions sensor downstream of the engine beinggreater than a cold start emissions threshold value.

In response to detecting a cold start condition, the ECU 140 maymaintain the heat dissipation at the electronics assembly 136 for afixed duration of time after detecting the cold start condition (e.g.,20 seconds or an applicable emissions monitoring window) or until ameasured temperature of the intake fluid flow 118 (or alternatively, ameasured temperature of the exhaust fluid flow) is greater than anemissions threshold temperature. In embodiments where the ECU 140 iscoupled to one or more emissions sensors within the vehicle exhaustsystem or otherwise downstream of the engine, the ECU 140 maintain theheat dissipation at the electronics assembly 136 until the value(s) ofone or more emissions measurements are less than a correspondingthreshold value(s). In this manner, the TLR assembly 102, 200, 302 maybe utilized to heat the engine intake fluid flow 118 and reduce vehicleemissions at startup when the throttle 106, 206, 306 is typicallyclosed. Moreover, in embodiments focused primarily on emissionsperformance (or similarly, engine icing rather than throttle icing), theelectronics assembly 136 may be placed in fluid communication with theintake fluid flow 118 downstream of the turbine outlet conduit 122, 322to facilitate heating all of the intake fluid flow 118, rather than justthe bypass fluid flow 114.

To briefly summarize, the subject matter described above allows for theheat generated by the electronics associated with a TLR assembly to beeffectively dissipated using either the ambient input air or the colderair downstream of the turbine in the TLR assembly. Additionally,transferring heat from the electronics into the fluid path for theturbine reduces the likelihood of icing at the TLR assembly ordownstream of the turbine at cooler ambient air temperatures. Inembodiments where heat is transferred from the electronics upstream ofthe turbine, the efficiency of the turbine may be improved (e.g., byincreasing the temperature of the air at the turbine inlet relative tothe temperature of the air at the turbine outlet). In other embodimentswhere overheating of the electronics is a concern, the heat may betransferred from the electronics more efficiently using colder airdownstream of the turbine. Furthermore, the heat generated by theelectronics may be dynamically adjusted to achieve a desired intaketemperature.

It should be noted that although the temperature regulation process 400is described above in the context of detecting a low temperaturecondition and automatically adjusting operations of the turbine assemblyto increase heat generation at the turbine assembly, the temperatureregulation process 400 may be implemented in an equivalent manner for ahigh temperature condition. For example, in response to detecting apotential overheating condition (e.g., a measured temperature thatexceeds an upper threshold temperature value), the electronics module130 may automatically adjust operations to minimize heat generation atthe turbine assembly 124 and provide a greater percentage of thegenerator output power to the vehicle electrical system. As described ingreater detail below, in the context of FIG. 5-9, the ECU 140 mayautomatically determine how to operate the vehicle electrical system toutilize or otherwise dissipate any excess energy that is output by theturbine assembly 124 in a manner that prevents overcharging or otherpotential adverse effects. Thus, the turbine 126 and the generator 128may be designed to provide a particular power output, with theelectronics module 130 and the ECU 140 cooperating to efficientlydistribute the generated power without damaging vehicle electricalcomponents while also managing temperatures associated with the turbineassembly 124.

In exemplary embodiments described below, during normal operation, theelectrical energy generated by the turbine assembly upstream of thethrottle is delivered or otherwise provided to the vehicle electricalsystem for charging one or more energy storage elements onboard thevehicle, such as the vehicle battery. To prevent overcharging oroverpowering the vehicle electrical system, a control module onboard thevehicle (e.g., an engine control unit (ECU) or the like) detects orotherwise identifies an excess energy condition indicative of thecurrent (or instantaneous) electrical power output generated by theturbine assembly exceeding the power handling capabilities of the energystorage elements onboard the vehicle or otherwise overpowering thevehicle electrical system in its current operating state. In response tothe excess energy condition, the control module automatically operatesthe vehicle electrical system in a manner that activates or otherwiseenables one or more electrical components onboard the vehicle to receiveat least a portion of the excess electrical energy generated by theturbine assembly, and thereby dissipate a corresponding amount of theexcess power generated by the turbine assembly. As described in greaterdetail below, the vehicle electrical components utilized to dissipatethe excess electrical energy may be determined or otherwise identifiedby the control module from among all of the possible vehicle electricalcomponents based on one or more selection criteria, such as, forexample, the amount of excess energy (or power) to be dissipated, thepower handling capabilities of the respective electrical component, thehealth or operational status of the respective electrical component, oneor more measurements indicative of the current operating environment,and the like.

In practice, the control module may also automatically operate thevehicle electrical system to prevent delivery of the electrical energygenerated by the turbine assembly to the energy storage element(s),thereby protecting the energy storage element(s) from exposure to theexcess power generated by the turbine assembly. In this manner, excesspower generated by the turbine assembly may be temporarily diverted awayfrom the energy storage element(s) as needed to prevent overcharging ordamaging the energy storage element(s). Additionally, by operatingvehicle electrical components to dissipate the excess electrical energy,the electronics of the turbine assembly do not need to be designed tohandle dissipating the excess electrical energy (both electrically andthermally), and moreover, reduces the need for sophisticated or complexregulation of the generator output power.

FIG. 5 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a vehicle system 500 thatincludes a throttle loss recovery (TLR) assembly 502 configured tomodulate the flow of fluid to an intake manifold 504 of an engine. TheTLR assembly 502 includes a throttle 506 disposed within a conduit 508for fluid 512 to be supplied to the engine intake. In exemplaryembodiments, the fluid 512 is realized as ambient air received via aport or inlet upstream of the TLR assembly 502. The TLR assembly 502includes a conduit 520 upstream of the throttle 506 that adjoins theengine intake conduit 508 and has an inlet configured to selectivelyreceive at least a portion 514 of the input fluid flow 512 in a mannerthat is influenced by the orientation (or angle) of the throttle 506with respect to the input fluid flow 512. In this regard, as the angleof the throttle 506 with respect to the input fluid flow 512 increasesto restrict the amount of the input fluid flow 512 that passes thethrottle 506 to the intake manifold 504, the amount of fluid flow 514bypassing the throttle 506 through the conduit 520 increases, which, inturn, increases the potential electrical energy that may be generated bythe turbine assembly 524. Conversely, as the angle of the throttle 506with respect to the input fluid flow 512 decreases to allow more of theinput fluid flow 512 to pass the throttle 506 to the intake manifold504, the amount of bypass fluid flow 514 entering the conduit 520decreases.

The outlet of the conduit 520 is coupled to the inlet (or input) of aturbine assembly 524 to establish fluid communication between the intakeconduit 508 upstream of the throttle 506 and the inlet of a turbine 526of the turbine assembly 524. In this regard, the bypass fluid flow 514functions as the turbine input fluid flow that passes through thevolute, nozzle, or and/or vanes of the turbine 526 and impacts theblades of the turbine 526 to rotate the shaft of the turbine 526. In theillustrated embodiment, the turbine assembly 524 includes an electricalgenerator 528 coupled to the shaft of the turbine 526 to generateelectrical energy in response to rotation of the shaft caused by theturbine input fluid flow 514. The TLR assembly 502 includes anotherconduit 522 having an inlet coupled to the outlet of the turbine 526 andan outlet coupled to the intake conduit 508 downstream of the throttle506 to establish fluid communication between the turbine 526 and theintake conduit 508 for the turbine output fluid flow 516. The turbineoutput fluid flow 516 combines with whatever portion of the input fluidflow 512 passes the throttle 506 to provide the intake fluid flow 518supplied to the intake manifold 504.

Referring again to FIG. 5, the turbine assembly 524 also includes anelectronics module 530 that is coupled between the generator 528 and thevehicle electrical system 532. The electronics module 530 includes theelectrical elements or components that are configured to receive theelectrical energy generated by the generator 528 and provide aninterface between the output of the generator 528 and the vehicleelectrical system 532 for delivering the generated electrical energy tothe vehicle electrical system 532. For example, the electronics module530 may include a rectifier coupled to a voltage bus associated with thevehicle electrical system 532 to rectify the output of the generator 528to a direct current voltage level corresponding to the voltage bus.Additionally, in some embodiments, the electronics module 530 mayinclude resistors, capacitors, inductors, diodes, transistors, and/orother electrical circuit elements configured to dissipate at least aportion of the electrical energy generated by the generator 528. In oneor more exemplary embodiments, the electronics module 530 also includesa control module that is configured to control operations of the turbineassembly 524, for example, by varying the loading of the generator 528,varying the geometry of the turbine 526 (e.g., in the case of a variablegeometry turbine), varying the amount of generated electrical energythat is dissipated at or by the electronics module 530, varying theamount of generated electrical energy that is output to the vehicleelectrical system 532, and the like. In this regard, the control moduleof the electronics module 530 may be coupled to the engine control unit(ECU) 540 and configured to support the various power regulationprocesses described herein.

In exemplary embodiments, the vehicle electrical system 532 includes atleast one energy storage element 550 coupled to the turbine assembly 524via the electronics module 530. The energy storage element 550 may berealized as a battery (or battery pack) that functions as an electricalenergy source for the vehicle, however, in alternative embodiments, theenergy storage element 550 may be realized as an ultracapacitor oranother suitable energy storage device. That said, for purposes ofexplanation, and without limitation, the energy storage element 550 mayalternatively be referred to herein as a battery. In practice, thebattery 550 may be coupled a voltage bus for distributing electricalenergy throughout the vehicle electrical system 532 to one or morevehicle electrical components 552, such as, for example, the vehicleheating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system, the vehiclelighting system (e.g., headlights, tail lights, and the like), thevehicle electric window defroster(s) (or defoggers), the vehicle headunit, radio(s), entertainment system, navigation system, or the like. Inthis regard, the voltage bus may provide the voltage of the battery 550as a supply voltage to the one or more vehicle electrical components552, which, when activated or are otherwise in operation, function aselectrical loads on the voltage bus. In some embodiments, the vehicleelectrical components 552 may be selectively coupled to the voltage busvia one or more switching arrangements that are operable by the ECU 540to control activation or operation of the respective electricalcomponents 552. In a similar manner, in some embodiments, the battery550 may be selectively coupled to the voltage bus and/or the electronicsmodule 530 via one or more switching arrangements to supportelectrically decoupling or electrically disconnecting the battery 550from the electrical energy output by the generator 528, as described ingreater detail below in the context of FIGS. 8-9.

Still referring to FIG. 5, the ECU 540 generally represents thecomponent of the vehicle system 500 that is coupled to the battery 550,the vehicle electrical components 552, the turbine assembly 524, and/orother vehicle components (e.g., the various knobs, buttons, switches,and other human-machine interface elements within the vehicle) tosupport operations of the vehicle system 500. In practice, the ECU 540includes one or more control modules (e.g., a processor, a controller, amicroprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integratedcircuit, or the like) configured to support operations of the vehiclesystem 500. The ECU 540 may also include a data storage element, such asa memory, one or more registers, or another suitable non-transitoryshort or long term computer-readable storage media, which is capable ofstoring computer-executable programming instructions or other data forexecution that, when read and executed by a control module of the ECU540, cause the ECU 540 to execute and perform one or more of theprocesses tasks, operations, and/or functions described herein.

In exemplary embodiments described herein, the ECU 540 is configured toreceive or otherwise obtain, from the battery 550, data or informationindicative of one or more performance characteristics of the battery550, such as, for example, the current state of charge of the battery,the current battery voltage, the current charging current flowing to thebattery, and the like. As described in greater detail below, based onthe value of a current performance characteristic of the battery 550,the ECU 540 may detect or otherwise identify an excess energy conditionwhere any electrical power output by the turbine assembly 524 maypotentially exceed the charging capabilities of the battery 550. Inresponse to the excess energy condition, the ECU 540 effectivelyelectrically decouples or electrically disconnects the energy storageelement 550 from the turbine assembly 524, at least partially, so thatat least a portion of the electrical energy generated by the turbineassembly 524 is diverted away from the battery 550 and delivered orotherwise dissipated elsewhere within the vehicle system 500.

In one or more embodiments, in response to the excess energy condition,the ECU 540 automatically activates or otherwise operates one or more ofthe vehicle electrical components 552 to increase its loading on thevoltage bus, and thereby dissipate at least a portion of the excesselectrical energy generated by the turbine assembly 524. Thus, thebattery 550 is effectively electrically decoupled from the output of theturbine assembly 524, at least partially, by virtue of the electricalenergy generated by the turbine assembly 524 being diverted away fromthe battery 550 and dissipated by another vehicle electrical component552 within the vehicle electrical system 532. In such embodiments, theECU 540 may identify or otherwise determine which vehicle electricalcomponent(s) 552 to use to dissipate the excess electrical energy basedon current user configurable settings within the vehicle (e.g., whetheror not the HVAC system is being utilized, whether or not the headlightsare on, or the like). In this regard, when a driver or passenger of thevehicle has enabled a particular vehicle electrical component 552 (e.g.,the HVAC system, the headlights, seat warmers, or the like), the ECU 540may automatically divert or otherwise redirect the excess electricalenergy generated by the turbine assembly 524 to that particular vehicleelectrical component (e.g., by activating, closing or otherwise turningon a switching arrangement configured between the output of the turbineassembly 524 and that vehicle component 552).

In embodiments where a vehicle occupant has not enabled any or enoughvehicle electrical components 552 to dissipate the excess electricalenergy, the ECU 540 may automatically identify or otherwise determinewhich vehicle electrical component 552 or combination of vehicleelectrical components 552 should be activated based on one or moreselection criteria to dissipate the excess electrical energy in a mannerthat has the lowest negative cumulative impact on the vehicleperformance and/or the passenger experience. In this regard, the ECU 540may temporarily turn on one or more vehicle electrical components 552which are otherwise turned off solely for purposes of dissipating theexcess power generated by the turbine assembly 524, and then turn offthose components 552 when the excess power dissipation is no longerdesirable. For example, the ECU 540 may automatically activate orotherwise turn on an electric rear window defroster 552 of the vehicle(e.g., by activating, closing or otherwise turning on a switchingarrangement configured between the output of the turbine assembly 524and the rear window defroster 552), which, in turn, dissipates at leasta portion of the electrical energy output by the turbine assembly 524.In this regard, it should be noted that the rear window defroster 552 iscontinually cooled by the ambient airflow over the rear window of thevehicle, and as such, any heat generated by the rear window defroster552 is effectively imperceptible to vehicle occupants. Similarly, theECU 540 may automatically activate or otherwise turn on a component ofthe vehicle lighting system 552 (e.g., by activating, closing orotherwise turning on the daytime running lights, the parking lights, theheadlights, or the like), which, in turn, dissipates at least a portionof the electrical energy output by the turbine assembly 524 in a mannerthat does not adversely impact the performance of the vehicle or theuser experience for the vehicle occupants.

Additionally or alternatively, in some embodiments, the ECU 540 operatesa switching arrangement configured between the electronics module 530and the battery 550 to electrically decouple, disconnect, or otherwiseisolate the battery 550 from the output of the turbine assembly 524. Inthis regard, during normal operation, the switching arrangementconfigured between the electronics module 530 and the battery 550 may beclosed, turned on, or otherwise activated to electrically connect thebattery 550 to the output of the turbine assembly 524 to provide a pathfor current that supports recharging the battery 550 with electricalenergy generated by the turbine assembly 524. In response to detectingan excess energy condition, the ECU 540 may open, turn off, or otherwisedeactivate the switching arrangement configured between the electronicsmodule 530 and the battery 550 to electrically disconnect the battery550 from the output of the turbine assembly 524 to prevent potentialovercharging or other adverse effects on the battery 550 that couldresult from excess power delivery.

In various embodiments, the ECU 540 may also command, signal, orotherwise instruct the electronics module 530 to dissipate at least aportion of the generated electrical energy at the electronics module 530in lieu of delivering that portion of the generated electrical energy tothe vehicle electrical system 532. For example, when the ECU 540 isunable to identify enough vehicle electrical components 552 to dissipatethe entire amount of excess energy generated by the turbine assembly524, the ECU 540 may provide a signal or command to the electronicsmodule 530 to dissipate the excess energy at the turbine assembly 524.In this regard, in some embodiments, the ECU 540 may dynamicallydetermine an optimized distribution of the excess energy among thevehicle electrical components 552 and the electronics module 530, forexample, to ensure that power from the alternator charging the battery550 is not dissipated by the vehicle electrical components 552 and/or toensure that the battery 550 is not overcharged (e.g., by maintaining thestate of charge below an upper threshold value or within a range ofvalues, by maintaining the battery charging current below a chargingcurrent limit, or the like). For example, if the amount of excess energygenerated by the turbine assembly 524 to be dissipated is less than thepower consumption of the rear window defroster, the ECU 540 mayautomatically identify and enable one or more vehicle electricalcomponents 552 that have a total power consumption that is less than orequal to the amount of excess power to be dissipated, thereby ensuringthat alternator power is not dissipated by the enabled vehicleelectrical component(s) 552. Moreover, when the total power consumptionfor the selected vehicle electrical component(s) 552 is less than theexcess power to be dissipated, the ECU 540 may signal, command, orotherwise instruct the electronics module 530 to dissipate the remainingportion of the generated power as heat at the electronics assembly,thereby ensuring that the battery 550 is not further charged while alsoensuring that alternator power is not consumed by the enabled vehicleelectrical component(s) 552.

FIG. 6 depicts an exemplary embodiment of a power regulation process 600suitable for implementation in a vehicle system to regulate thedissipation of electrical energy generated by a TLR system. The varioustasks performed in connection with the illustrated process 600 may beimplemented using hardware, firmware, software executed by processingcircuitry, or any combination thereof. For illustrative purposes, thefollowing description may refer to elements mentioned above inconnection with FIGS. 2 and 5. In practice, portions of the powerregulation process 600 may be performed by different elements of thevehicle system 500, such as, the ECU 540, the electronics module 530,the turbine 526, the generator 528, the battery 150, and/or the vehicleelectrical component(s) 552. It should be appreciated that practicalembodiments of the power regulation process 600 may include any numberof additional or alternative tasks, the tasks need not be performed inthe illustrated order and/or the tasks may be performed concurrently,and/or the power regulation process 600 may be incorporated into a morecomprehensive procedure or process having additional functionality notdescribed in detail herein. Moreover, one or more of the tasks shown anddescribed in the context of FIG. 6 could be omitted from a practicalembodiment of the power regulation process 600 as long as the intendedoverall functionality remains intact.

In exemplary embodiments, the power regulation process 600 identifies orotherwise determines whether excess electrical energy is being generatedby the TLR assembly, and operating the TLR assembly to deliver thegenerated electrical energy to the vehicle electrical system when theTLR assembly is not generating excess energy (tasks 602, 604). In one ormore embodiments, the ECU 540 identifies an excess energy condition bymonitoring a performance characteristic of the battery 550, such as, forexample, a current state of charge of the battery 550, a current outputvoltage of the battery 550, a current electrical current flowing to/fromthe battery 550, or the like. The ECU 540 may identify the absence of anexcess energy condition when the performance characteristic of thebattery 550 is less than a threshold value that indicates that thebattery 550 is fully charged (e.g., when current state of charge of thebattery 550 or the voltage across terminals of the battery 550 is lessthan an upper threshold) or that the battery 550 is being charged at anacceptable rate (e.g., when a charging current flowing to the battery550 is less than a maximum charging current threshold).

In other embodiments, the ECU 540 may identify the absence of an excessenergy condition based on one or more of the orientation (or position)of the throttle 506 and the speed of the vehicle. For example, if thevehicle is traveling at relatively low speeds and/or the throttle 506 isorientated so that the mass flow rate of the bypassing fluid flow 514 islikely to be less than a threshold amount, the ECU 540 may determinethat the turbine assembly 524 is unlikely to generate excess electricalpower. In yet other embodiments, based on the speed of the vehicle, theposition of the throttle 506, and the operating status of the turbineassembly 524 (e.g., the state of any variable geometry members of theturbine 526), the ECU 540 may calculate or otherwise determine anestimated electrical power likely to be generated by the turbineassembly 524 and output to the vehicle electrical system 532.Additionally, the ECU 540 may calculate or otherwise determine anestimated power handling capability of the battery 550 based on thedifference between the current value of a performance characteristic ofthe battery 550 and its corresponding charging threshold value (e.g.,the difference between the current state of charge of the battery 550and the upper state of charge threshold), and identify an excess energycondition when the estimated generated electrical power is greater thanthe estimated power handling capability of the battery 550. Inalternative embodiments, the ECU 540 may calculate or otherwisedetermine an estimated power handling capability of the vehicleelectrical system 532 based on the current power handling capability ofthe battery 550 and the current power handling capability of thecurrently enabled (or activated) vehicle electrical components 552, andidentify an excess energy condition when the estimated generatedelectrical power is greater than the estimated power handling capabilityof the vehicle electrical system 532.

In response to detecting an excess energy condition, the powerregulation process 600 continues by identifying or otherwise determiningwhether there are any available vehicle electrical components that havebeen selected or enabled by a user that are available for dissipatingthe excess electrical energy from the TLR assembly, and if so,automatically operating the identified vehicle electrical component(s)to dissipate the excess electrical energy generated by the TLR assembly(task 606, 608). In this regard, the ECU 540 automatically operates thevehicle electrical system 532 to redistribute the electrical energygenerated by the turbine assembly 524 so that the excess electricalenergy is dissipated or otherwise absorbed by the vehicle component(s)552 that a vehicle occupant has enabled rather than the battery 550. Forexample, as described in greater detail below in the context of FIGS.8-9, the ECU 540 may operate one or more switching arrangements withinthe vehicle electrical system 532 to electrically disconnect the battery550 from the output of the turbine assembly 524 and electrically connectthe vehicle electrical component(s) 552 that have been enabled by auser. In this manner, current generated by the turbine assembly 524 maybe dissipated by the vehicle electrical component(s) 552 and preventedfrom flowing to the battery 550. Based on the current speed of thevehicle, the current state of charge and/or output voltage of thebattery 550 (or alternatively, the output voltage from the TLR assembly502), the ECU 540 may calculate, estimate, or otherwise determine thetotal power output (or output current) currently being produced by theTLR assembly 502. Thereafter, the ECU 540 may determine the amount ofexcess power to be dissipated based on the difference between the totalgenerated power output and the current power handling (or charging)capability of the battery 550.

In the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 6, when a vehicle occupant has notmanually enabled or activated vehicle electrical components capable ofdissipating the excess energy generated by the TLR assembly, the powerregulation process 600 may identify or otherwise determine whether theexcess energy can be dissipated by the TLR assembly, and if so, operatethe TLR assembly to dissipate the excess electrical energy in lieu ofdelivering the excess energy to the vehicle electrical system (tasks610, 612). In some embodiments, the electronics module 530 may beconfigured to selectively dissipate at least a portion of the electricalenergy generated by the generator 528 rather than delivering thatportion of electrical energy to the vehicle electrical system 532. Whenthe ECU 540 identifies that the electronics module 530 is capable ofdissipating the excess electrical energy, the ECU 540 commands, signals,or otherwise instructs the electronics module 530 to operate in a powerdissipation mode where electrical energy generated by the generator 528is dissipated rather than being delivered to the vehicle electricalsystem 532. In one embodiment, the ECU 540 determines whether theelectronics module 530 is capable of dissipating the excess electricalenergy based on a measured temperature associated with the electronicsmodule 530. In this regard, when the temperature of the electronicsmodule 530 is less than a maximum operating temperature associated withthe electronics module 530, the ECU 540 may determine that the excesselectrical energy can be dissipated by the electronics module 530 andinitiate operation of the electronics module 530 in a power dissipationmode.

Still referring to FIG. 6, when the excess power cannot be dissipated bythe TLR assembly, the illustrated power regulation process 600 operatesthe TLR assembly to deliver the generated energy to the vehicleelectrical system, automatically identifies or otherwise determines oneor more vehicle electrical components for dissipating the generatedenergy, and operates the identified vehicle electrical component(s) todissipate the excess power generated by the TLR assembly (tasks 614,616, 618). In exemplary embodiments, the ECU 540 automatically selectsor otherwise identifies a particular vehicle electrical component 552 ora combination thereof that is best suited to dissipate the electricalenergy based on one or more selection criteria. Thereafter, the ECU 540automatically operates the identified vehicle components 552 and/or thecorresponding switching arrangements of the vehicle electrical system532 to deliver the electrical energy output from the turbine assembly524 to the identified vehicle components 552 in a manner that mitigatesor otherwise prevents the electrical energy output by the turbineassembly 524 from being delivered to the battery 550.

In some embodiments, the ECU 540 may utilize a hierarchical list toidentify or select which vehicle electrical component 552 should beutilized. In this regard, when a preferred vehicle electrical component552 is unavailable (e.g., due to malfunction or some other adversesituation or the like) or its power consumption exceeds the currentamount of excess power (e.g., to avoid drawing alternator power), theECU 540 may select the next most preferred vehicle electrical component552 from the list, and so on. Similarly, if a preferred vehicleelectrical component 552 is not capable of dissipating the entirety ofthe excess energy generated by the turbine assembly 524 (e.g., due tolimits on the current or power handling capability of the component552), the ECU 540 may select the next most preferred vehicle electricalcomponent 552 from the list for use in combination with the morepreferred vehicle electrical component 552, and so on, until acombination of vehicle electrical components 552 capable of dissipatingthe entirety of the excess generated electrical energy has beenidentified. Thereafter, the ECU 540 automatically operates theidentified vehicle components 552 and/or the switching arrangements ofthe vehicle electrical system 532 to deliver the electrical energyoutput by the turbine assembly 524 to the identified vehicle components552 in a manner that mitigates or otherwise prevents the electricalenergy output by the turbine assembly 524 from being delivered to thebattery 550.

In other embodiments, the ECU 540 may determine which vehicle electricalcomponent(s) 552 should be utilized to dissipate the excess energy basedon current environmental conditions and/or the current operating statusof the vehicle. For example, the ECU 540 may be communicatively coupledto various sensor systems in the vehicle to receive or otherwise obtainmeasurements of the environmental conditions associated with the vehicle(e.g., the ambient temperature outside of the vehicle, the ambientlighting outside of the vehicle, the temperature in the passengercompartment of the vehicle, and the like) along with informationpertaining to the current operating status of the vehicle (e.g., whichgear the vehicle is in, the current speed of the vehicle, and the like).Using the available information, the ECU 540 may select, in real-time,the vehicle electrical component 552 or combination thereof that isleast likely to be perceived by vehicle occupants or other driverswithout compromising other objectives.

For example, when the vehicle speed is greater than a threshold valueand/or the ambient temperature is less than a threshold temperature, theECU 540 may automatically select the rear window defroster 552 as avehicle electrical component 552 that should be utilized to dissipatethe excess energy based on the likelihood of the mass flow over the rearwindow dissipating the heat generated by the rear window defroster 552so that its operation is substantially imperceptible to vehicleoccupants. Alternatively, at lower vehicle speeds and warmer ambient airtemperatures, or when the temperature in the passenger compartment isabove a threshold value (e.g., a desired temperature set by a driver orpassenger), the ECU 540 may automatically select the side window heaters552 as the vehicle electrical components 552 that should be utilized todissipate the excess energy based on the side window heaters 552 beingless likely to influence the temperature in the passenger compartment orotherwise be perceptible to vehicle occupants. As another example, whenthe ambient lighting outside of the vehicle indicates at least athreshold luminance, the ECU 540 may automatically select the parkinglights, the daytime running lights, the dashboard lights, and/or anotherlighting component 552 as the vehicle electrical component(s) 552 thatshould be utilized to dissipate the excess energy based on thelikelihood that increasing the output luminance of those vehiclelighting systems 552 will be substantially imperceptible given theambient luminance. It should be appreciated that the aforementionedexamples are provided solely for the purposes of explanation and are notintended to be limiting; in practice, numerous different environmentalconditions, vehicle statuses, and other selection criteria may beutilized to automatically select the optimal vehicle electricalcomponent(s) 552 in real-time.

The power regulation process 600 may be repeated indefinitely throughoutoperation of the vehicle system 500 to dynamically redistribute anddissipate the energy generated by the TLR assembly 502 in an appropriatemanner. Thus, when the battery 550 is capable of absorbing the generatedenergy, the ECU 540 operates the vehicle electrical system 532 in amanner that allows the TLR assembly 502 to contribute to recharging thebattery 550. In periods of time where the battery 550 is incapable ofabsorbing the generated energy (e.g., at freeway speeds when thethrottle 506 is positioned to obstruct the input fluid flow 512 and thebattery 550 is essentially fully charged), the ECU 540 automaticallyoperates the vehicle electrical system 532 to dissipate the generatedenergy in a useful manner, or if none is available, operates the turbineassembly 524 and/or the vehicle electrical system 532 to dissipate thegenerated electrical energy in a manner that is substantiallyimperceptible to vehicle occupants and does not risk exceeding anyoperational limits of the electronics module 530 or the vehicleelectrical components 552. Thereafter, once the battery 550 resumesbeing capable of absorbing the generated energy, the ECU 540 mayautomatically operate the vehicle electrical system 532 to revert toallowing the TLR assembly 502 to contribute to recharging the battery550.

FIG. 7 depicts an exemplary embodiment of an electronics module 700suitable for use as the electronics module 530 in the turbine assembly524 of FIG. 5 in conjunction with the power regulation process 600 ofFIG. 6. As described above, the electronics module 700 includes powerelectronics 702 coupled between the output of the generator 528 and thevehicle electrical system 532, and the power electronics 702 generallyrepresent the components of the electronics module 700 that areconfigured to filter, rectify, or otherwise process the electricalenergy output by the generator 528 and deliver the generated electricalenergy to the vehicle electrical system 532. Additionally, the powerelectronics 702 may include circuitry configured to selectivelydissipate the generated electrical energy in response to commands from acontrol module 704 of the electronics module 700. In this regard, thecontrol module 704 generally represents the hardware, processing logicand/or other components of the electronics module 700 that are coupledto the ECU 540 and configured to support operations of the electronicsmodule 700 described herein. In practice, the control module 704 mayinclude or otherwise be realized as a processor, a controller, amicroprocessor, a microcontroller, an application specific integratedcircuit, a field programmable gate array, any suitable programmablelogic device.

The illustrated electronics module 700 also includes a temperaturesensing arrangement 706 disposed proximate the power electronics 702 tosense, measure, or otherwise quantify the temperature of the powerelectronics 702 and/or the electronics module 700. For example, thetemperature sensing arrangement 706 and the power electronics 702 may bepackaged together in a common device package or device housing. In thisregard, the temperature sensing arrangement 706 may be affixed, mounted,or otherwise formed on the same substrate as the power electronics 702to provide thermal coupling between the temperature sensing arrangement706 and the power electronics 702. The control module 704 may also bemounted on the same substrate as the power electronics 702 and thetemperature sensing arrangement 706 and packaged in the same devicepackage or housing, which, in turn, is packaged within the turbineassembly 524 (e.g., by mounting the electronics module 700 to thegenerator 528 and/or the turbine 526).

Referring to FIG. 7 with reference to FIGS. 5 and 6, in one or moreembodiments, the ECU 540 is coupled to the temperature sensingarrangement 706 (either directly or via the control module 704) toreceive or otherwise obtain a measured temperature associated with theelectronics module 700. When the measured temperature of the electronicsmodule 530, 700 less than a maximum operating temperature associatedwith the electronics module 530, 700 and the ECU 540 determines excesselectrical energy cannot be usefully dissipated using user-enabledvehicle electrical components 552, the ECU 540 may determine that theexcess electrical energy can be dissipated by the electronics module530, 700 and command, signal, or otherwise instruct the control module704 to operate the power electronics 702 to dissipate the excesselectrical energy generated by the generator 528 at the electronicsmodule 530, 700. Conversely, when the measured temperature of theelectronics module 530, 700 greater than or equal to the maximumoperating temperature, the ECU 540 may automatically identify andutilize one or more vehicle electrical components 552 to dissipate theexcess electrical energy as described above (e.g., tasks 616, 618). Insome embodiments, the control module 704 may be coupled to thetemperature sensing arrangement 706 instead of the ECU 540, with thecontrol module 704 detecting or otherwise identifying when the measuredtemperature of the electronics module 530, 700 is greater than or equalto a maximum operating temperature and providing, to the ECU 540, acorresponding indication (e.g., a flag bit) that the electronics module530, 700 should not dissipate any excess energy.

FIGS. 8-9 depict an exemplary sequence of operating a vehicle electricalsystem 800 suitable for use as the vehicle electrical system 532 in thevehicle system 500 of FIG. 5 in accordance with one or more exemplaryembodiments of the power regulation process 600 of FIG. 6. It should beappreciated that FIGS. 8-9 depict a simplistic representation of thevehicle electrical system 800 for purposes of explanation, and thevehicle electrical system 800 depicted in FIGS. 8-9 is not intended tolimit the subject matter described herein in any way. Practicalembodiments of the vehicle electrical system 800 may include any numberor type of vehicle electrical components 804, any number or type ofenergy storage elements 802, and any number or type of switchingarrangements 810, 812, 814 configured to support the subject matterdescribed herein.

Referring to FIGS. 8-9, and with continued reference to FIGS. 5 and 6,the illustrated vehicle electrical system 800 includes a battery 802(e.g., energy storage element 550) and at least one vehicle electricalcomponent 804 (e.g., vehicle electrical component 552). The battery 802is selectively electrically coupled to the output of the turbineassembly 824 (e.g., turbine assembly 524) via a first switchingarrangement 810 coupled between the battery 802 and the output of theturbine assembly 824, and the vehicle electrical component 804 isselectively electrically coupled to the output of the turbine assembly824 via a second switching arrangement 810 coupled between the vehicleelectrical component 804 and the output of the turbine assembly 824.Additionally, in some embodiments, the vehicle electrical component 804is also selectively electrically coupled to the battery 802 via a thirdswitching arrangement 814 coupled between the vehicle electricalcomponent 804 and the battery 802.

Referring to FIG. 8, in the absence of an excess energy condition, theECU 540 closes, turns on, or otherwise activates the first switchingarrangement 810 to provide an electrical connection and a correspondingpath for current from the output of the turbine assembly 824 to thebattery 802, thereby delivering the electrical energy generated by theturbine assembly 824 to the battery 802 to charge the battery 802 (e.g.,tasks 602, 604). Additionally, if the vehicle electrical component 804has been enabled by a vehicle occupant, the ECU 540 may also activatethe third switching arrangement 814 to provide an electrical connectionbetween the battery 802 and the vehicle electrical component 804 so thatthe battery 802 functions as an energy source for the vehicle electricalcomponent 804. Otherwise, in embodiments where the vehicle electricalcomponent 804 has not been enabled, the ECU 540 may deactivate the thirdswitching arrangement 814 to prevent any current flow from the battery802 to the vehicle electrical component 804. In the illustratedembodiment, in the absence of an excess energy condition, the ECU 540also deactivates the second switching arrangement 812 to electricallydecouple the vehicle electrical component 804 from the turbine assembly824 to prevent diverting charging current away from the battery 802.

Referring now to FIG. 9, in response to identifying an excess energycondition, the ECU 540 automatically opens, turns off, or otherwisedeactivates the first switching arrangement 810 to electrically decouplethe battery 802 from the output of the turbine assembly 824 to preventdelivery of excess electrical energy to the battery 802 (e.g., tasks608, 618). Additionally, the ECU 540 automatically closes, turns on, orotherwise activates the second switching arrangement 812 to provide anelectrical connection and a corresponding path for current from theoutput of the turbine assembly 824 to the vehicle electrical component804, thereby delivering at least a portion of the electrical energygenerated by the turbine assembly 824 to the vehicle electricalcomponent 804, which, in turn, dissipates the electrical energy receivedfrom the turbine assembly 824. In embodiments where the vehicleelectrical component 804 was previously enabled and being powered by thebattery 802, the ECU 540 may also automatically deactivate the thirdswitching arrangement 814 in concert with deactivating the firstswitching arrangement 810 and activating the second switchingarrangement 812 to prevent current flow between the battery 802 and thevehicle electrical component 804. The ECU 540 may maintain the firstswitching arrangement 810 deactivated and the second switchingarrangement 812 activated for as long as the excess energy conditionexists to prevent excess electrical energy generated by the turbineassembly 824 from being delivered to the battery 802. Thereafter, inresponse to identifying an absence of the excess energy condition, theECU 540 may operate the vehicle electrical system 800 to revert back tothe initial operating state as depicted in FIG. 8 (e.g., by activatingswitching arrangement 810 and deactivating switching arrangement 812 inconcert) to resume delivery of electrical energy generated by theturbine assembly 824 to the battery 802.

To briefly summarize, the subject matter described herein allows for theexcess energy generated by a TLR assembly to be effectively dissipatedusing vehicle electrical components that are not subject to the sameoperating temperature constraints as the under-the-hood components andin a manner that is substantially imperceptible to vehicle occupants.For example, excess electrical energy generated by the may be divertedaway from the vehicle battery and/or other energy storage elements andprovided to one or more other vehicle electrical components, such aswindow defrosters, lighting systems, or the like, that are capable ofdissipating the excess energy without significantly impacting the userexperience. Additionally, in the case of window defrosters or externallighting systems that are exposed or otherwise thermally coupled toambient air, the mass flow associated with a moving vehicle is capableof cooling the vehicle electrical components, thereby minimizing theeffects of any added heat that may be dissipated by the activatedelectrical components. By diverting the excess energy generated by theTLR assembly elsewhere onboard the vehicle, the likelihood ofovercharging of the vehicle battery and/or other energy storage elementsis reduced, and furthermore, the electronics associated with the TLRassembly do not need to be responsible for regulating the amount ofenergy output by the TLR assembly or dissipating any excess energy,thereby simplifying the electronics and reducing the likelihood of theelectronics overheating.

After operating the vehicle electrical component(s) to dissipate theexcess energy generated by the turbine assembly, the control moduledetects or otherwise identifies the absence of the excess energycondition when the current (or instantaneous) electrical power outputgenerated by the turbine assembly falls below the power handlingcapabilities of the energy storage element(s) and/or the vehicleelectrical system as initially configured. In response to the absence,the control module automatically operates the vehicle electrical systemto revert to its initial normal operating state. For example, thecontrol module may deactivate or otherwise disable the vehicleelectrical components used to dissipate the excess electrical energy, orotherwise prevent those vehicle electrical components from receiving theelectrical energy generated by the turbine assembly (e.g., by operatinga switching arrangement to decouple the vehicle electrical component(s)from the generator output). Additionally, the control moduleautomatically operates the vehicle electrical system to resume deliveryof the electrical energy generated by the turbine assembly to the energystorage element(s), for example, by operating a switching arrangement toprovide an electrical connection from the output of the turbine assemblyto the energy storage element(s).

It will be appreciated that various embodiments described herein can becombined and utilized to achieve a desired dissipation of excess energyin conjunction with regulating the temperature of the power electronicsand the outlet air from the turbine in the throttle loss recoveryassembly (and thereby, the engine intake air temperature). Additionally,the electronics assembly may be located in various locations to achievethe needs of a particular application. For example, the electronicsassembly 136 may be provided in fluid communication with the input fluidflow 112 upstream of the throttle 106 to expose the electronics assembly136 to a larger airflow rate for cooling purposes but less energyrecovery potential as compared to the embodiment of FIG. 1 where theelectronics assembly 136 is in fluid communication with the bypass fluidflow 114, which provides enhanced potential for energy recovery (bybetter raising the temperature of the input fluid to the turbine) but alower airflow rate. Similarly, the electronics assembly 136 may beprovided in fluid communication with the intake fluid flow 118downstream of the throttle 106 to expose the electronics assembly 136 toa larger airflow rate for cooling purposes but less effective icingprevention as compared to the embodiment of FIG. 3 where the electronicsassembly 136 is in fluid communication with the turbine output fluidflow 116.

For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to turbines,turbo generators, throttle loss recovery systems, heat transfer, andother functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operatingcomponents of the systems) may not be described in detail herein.Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures containedherein are intended to represent exemplary functional relationshipsand/or physical couplings between the various elements. It should benoted that many alternative or additional functional relationships orphysical connections may be present in an embodiment of the subjectmatter.

The subject matter may be described herein in terms of functional and/orlogical block components, and with reference to symbolic representationsof operations, processing tasks, and functions that may be performed byvarious computing components or devices. It should be appreciated thatthe various block components shown in the figures may be realized by anynumber of hardware components configured to perform the specifiedfunctions. For example, an embodiment of a system or a component mayemploy various integrated circuit components, e.g., memory elements,digital signal processing elements, logic elements, look-up tables, orthe like, which may carry out a variety of functions under the controlof one or more microprocessors or other control devices. Furthermore,embodiments of the subject matter described herein can be stored on,encoded on, or otherwise embodied by any suitable non-transitorycomputer-readable medium as computer-executable instructions or datastored thereon that, when executed (e.g., by a processing system),facilitate the processes described above.

The foregoing description may refer to elements or components orfeatures being “coupled” together. As used herein, unless expresslystated otherwise, “coupled” means that one element/node/feature isdirectly or indirectly joined to (or directly or indirectly communicateswith) another element/node/feature, and not necessarily mechanically.Thus, although the drawings may depict one exemplary arrangement ofelements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, orcomponents may be present in an embodiment of the depicted subjectmatter. In addition, certain terminology may also be used in thefollowing description for the purpose of reference only, and thus arenot intended to be limiting. For example, the terms “first,” “second,”and other such numerical terms referring to structures do not imply asequence or order unless clearly indicated by the context.

The foregoing detailed description is merely illustrative in nature andis not intended to limit the embodiments of the subject matter or theapplication and uses of such embodiments. As used herein, the word“exemplary” means “serving as an example, instance, or illustration.”Any implementation described herein as exemplary is not necessarily tobe construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations.Furthermore, there is no intention to be bound by any theory presentedin the preceding background, brief summary, or the detailed description.

While at least one exemplary embodiment has been presented in theforegoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a vastnumber of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that theexemplary embodiment or exemplary embodiments are only examples, and arenot intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of thesubject matter in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed descriptionwill provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map forimplementing an exemplary embodiment of the subject matter. It should beunderstood that various changes may be made in the function andarrangement of elements described in an exemplary embodiment withoutdeparting from the scope of the subject matter as set forth in theappended claims. Accordingly, details of the exemplary embodiments orother limitations described above should not be read into the claimsabsent a clear intention to the contrary.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a flow control assembly togenerate electrical energy in response to a bypass portion of a fluidflow, the bypass portion bypassing a flow control valve based on anorientation of the flow control valve with respect to the fluid flow; anelectrical system coupled to the flow control assembly to receive theelectrical energy, the electrical system comprising an energy storageelement and an electrical load; and a control module coupled to theelectrical system to detect an excess energy condition based at least inpart on a characteristic of the electrical system, and to operate theelectrical system to dissipate at least a portion of the electricalenergy generated by the flow control assembly using the electrical loadin response to the excess energy condition.
 2. The system of claim 1,wherein the control module operates the electrical system to deliver theelectrical energy generated by the flow control assembly to the energystorage element in an absence of the excess energy condition.
 3. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the control module operating the electricalsystem to dissipate at least the portion of the electrical energygenerated by the flow control assembly in response to the excess energycondition comprises: electrically decoupling the energy storage elementfrom an output of the flow control assembly; and electrically couplingthe electrical load to the output of the flow control assembly.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the flow control valve is upstream of anintake manifold of an engine of a vehicle.
 5. The system of claim 4,wherein: the energy storage element comprises a vehicle battery; theelectrical load comprises a vehicle electrical component; and thecontrol module operates the electrical system to charge the vehiclebattery with the electrical energy generated by the flow controlassembly in an absence of the excess energy condition.
 6. The system ofclaim 5, wherein the control module: automatically activates the vehicleelectrical component to dissipate the portion of the electrical energygenerated by the flow control assembly in response to the excess energycondition; and automatically deactivates the vehicle electricalcomponent in response to the absence of the excess energy condition. 7.The system of claim 6, wherein the control module operates theelectrical system to deliver the electrical energy generated by the flowcontrol assembly to the vehicle electrical component in response to theexcess energy condition.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the controlmodule operates the electrical system to prevent delivery of theelectrical energy generated by the flow control assembly to the vehiclebattery in response to the excess energy condition.
 9. The system ofclaim 6, wherein the control module identifies the vehicle electricalcomponent as a user-enabled vehicle electrical component of a pluralityof electrical components onboard the vehicle prior to operating theelectrical system to dissipate at least the portion of the electricalenergy generated by the flow control assembly using the user-enabledvehicle electrical component in response to the excess energy condition.10. The system of claim 6, wherein the control module automaticallyidentifies the vehicle electrical component for dissipating the portionof the electrical energy from among a plurality of electrical componentsonboard the vehicle based on one or more selection criteria prior tooperating the electrical system to dissipate at least the portion of theelectrical energy generated by the flow control assembly using thevehicle electrical component in response to the excess energy condition.11. The system of claim 4, wherein: the electrical load comprises awindow defroster of the vehicle; and the control module automaticallyactivates the window defroster to dissipate the portion of theelectrical energy generated by the flow control assembly in response tothe excess energy condition.
 12. A vehicle system comprising: a turbineassembly upstream of a throttle to generate electrical energy at anoutput in response to an input fluid flow influenced by an orientationof the throttle; a vehicle electrical system coupled to the output ofthe turbine assembly, the vehicle electrical system including an energystorage element and a vehicle electrical component; and a control modulecoupled to the vehicle electrical system to identify an excess energycondition and automatically activate the vehicle electrical component todissipate at least a portion of the electrical energy generated by theturbine assembly in response to the excess energy condition.
 13. Thevehicle system of claim 12, wherein after activating the vehicleelectrical component, the control module automatically deactivates thevehicle electrical component in an absence of the excess energycondition.
 14. The vehicle system of claim 12, wherein the controlmodule automatically activates the vehicle electrical component byactivating a switching arrangement coupled between the output of theturbine assembly and the vehicle electrical component.
 15. The vehiclesystem of claim 14, wherein the control module automatically deactivatesa second switching arrangement coupled between the output of the turbineassembly and the energy storage element in response to the excess energycondition.
 16. A method of managing electrical energy generated by aturbine assembly upstream of a throttle, the turbine assembly generatingthe electrical energy in response to a fluid flow influenced by anorientation of the throttle, the method comprising: operating a vehicleelectrical system coupled to the turbine assembly to deliver theelectrical energy to an energy storage element; in response to an excessenergy condition, operating the vehicle electrical system to dissipateat least a portion of the electrical energy using a vehicle electricalcomponent; and thereafter, operating the vehicle electrical system todeliver the electrical energy to the energy storage element in responseto an absence of the excess energy condition.
 17. The method of claim16, further comprising identifying the excess energy condition based atleast in part on a characteristic of the energy storage element.
 18. Themethod of claim 17, further comprising operating the vehicle electricalsystem to prevent delivery of the electrical energy to the energystorage element in response to the excess energy condition.
 19. Themethod of claim 18, wherein: operating the vehicle electrical system todissipate at least the portion of the electrical energy using thevehicle electrical component comprises activating a first switchingarrangement coupled between the turbine assembly and the vehicleelectrical component; and operating the vehicle electrical system toprevent delivery of the electrical energy to the energy storage elementcomprises deactivating a second switching arrangement coupled betweenthe turbine assembly and the energy storage element.
 20. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising automatically identifying the vehicleelectrical component from among a plurality of vehicle electricalcomponents based on one or more selection criteria.